Adaptor for portable electronic devices

ABSTRACT

An adaptor that attaches to a portable electronic device and is configured to removably receive a user-chosen accessory and that supports the portable electronic device on or to a structure is disclosed. The adaptor allows for the use of different accessories with the portable electronic device, thus providing a level of customization for the user. The adaptor includes a mounting member for supporting the adaptor to the portable electronic device, a body, and at least one receiving bracket supported on the body, the receiving bracket removably attaching the accessory to the adaptor. The mounting member defines a slot sized to receive a grip that is attached to the portable electronic device. The side edges of the mounting member are spaced apart a sufficient distance to allow the grip device to be slid or otherwise received into slot in snug engagement with the side edges so that the adaptor does not disengage from the portable electronic device unintentionally.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application Ser. No.16/849,959, filed Apr. 15, 2020, and U.S. provisional application62/834,318, filed Apr. 15, 2019, both of which are incorporated here byreference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to an adaptor for attachment ofaccessories to portable electronic devices to provide the user with achoice for customization, and more particularly but not exclusively, toan adaptor that removably attaches to a portable electronic device andis configured to removably receive a user-chosen accessory to supportthe portable electronic device on or to a structure.

BACKGROUND

Cell phone and other portable electronic devices such as tablets areubiquitous, with individuals using them as computers, cameras, exercisetrackers, navigational tools, fitness tools, to watch movies, and toentertain young children, among numerous other uses. However, toaccomplish many of these tasks, without more, an individual would needto physically hold and position the device, which can be tiring,annoying, impracticable and at times dangerous. Various accessories andadd-ons have been developed to allow for use of portable electronicdevices without an individual needing to hold the device, but theseaccessories are often bulky and/or are only suitable for one specificactivity.

SUMMARY

While many accessories exist for portable electronic devices to enableuse without an individual directly holding them, such accessories aregenerally not customizable by the user, but instead have pre-determinedpositions and are designed for specific uses. Because people take theirportable electronic devices with them wherever they go, there arevarious scenarios where different accessories would be desirable for aspecific use. In addition, the ease of attaching and removing theaccessory from the portable electronic device is advantageous since manyare kept in the pocket of the user and additional bulk added to thedevice is considered undesirable by some.

An adaptor that attaches to a portable electronic device and isconfigured to removably receive a user-chosen accessory, and whichsupports the portable electronic device on or to a structure isdisclosed herein. The adaptor allows for the use of differentaccessories, thus providing a level of customization for the user. Theadaptor includes a mounting member for supporting the adaptor to theportable electronic device, a body, and at least one receiving armsupported on the body, the receiving arm supporting a correspondingreceiving bracket, which together guide and support the accessory on theadaptor.

In one embodiment, the mounting member attaches the adaptor to theportable electronic device by a friction fit with a grip device that issecured to the portable electronic device. The side edges of themounting member are spaced apart a sufficient distance to allow the gripdevice to be slid or otherwise received into a slot formed therein. Thegrip device is in snug engagement with the side edges so that theadaptor does not disengage from the portable electronic deviceunintentionally.

In another embodiment, each bracket arm includes an upper portion thatare curved inward toward each other to assist in holding the accessoryin place once received by the bracket. Each of the bracket arms arespaced apart so that when the accessory has been received therein, eachbracket arm is in frictional contact with the accessory to prevent itfrom inadvertently moving or disengaging from the receiving bracket(s).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below withreference to the accompanying figures, which are not necessarily drawnto scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principlesdisclosed herein. The figures are included to provide an illustrationand a further understanding of the various aspects and embodiments andare incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification but arenot intended as a definition of the limits of any particular embodiment.The figures, together with the remainder of the specification, serveonly to explain principles and operations of the described and claimedaspects and embodiments, but are not to be construed as limitingembodiments. In the figures, each identical or nearly identicalcomponent that is illustrated in various figures is represented by alike numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may belabeled in every figure.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an adaptor in accordance with afirst embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the adaptor of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3-4 are perspective views of the adaptor of FIG. 1 in use with anaccessory;

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of the adaptor of FIG. 1 incombination with an accessory;

FIG. 6 is a pictorial representation of the adaptor of FIG. 1 supportedon a portable electronic device in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 7A is a side elevational view of an exemplary grip device for usewith the adaptor of FIG. 1 in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B is a top plan view of the exemplary grip device of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7C is a bottom perspective view of the adaptor of FIG. 1 incombination with the accessory and the exemplary grip device of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8A top perspective view of the adaptor in accordance with a secondembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8B is a front elevational view of the adaptor of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 8C is a side elevational view of the adaptor in accordance with asecond embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are top perspective views of the adaptor in accordancewith a third embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of the adaptor of FIGS. 9 and 10 inuse with an accessory;

FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of the adaptor of FIGS. 9 and 10 inuse with an accessory;

FIGS. 13 and 14 are pictorial representations of the adaptor of FIGS. 9and 10 supported on a portable electronic device in accordance with thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of the adaptor of FIGS. 9 and 10 inuse with an accessory wrapped around a cylindrical support in accordancewith the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of the adaptor of FIG. 1 supportedon a portable electronic device and in use with an accessory supportedon a planar surface in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 17 is a rear perspective view of the adaptor of FIG. 1 supported ona portable electronic device and in use with an accessory supported on aplanar surface in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The examples of the apparatus discussed herein are not limited inapplication to the details of construction and the arrangement ofcomponents set forth in the following description or illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. It will be understood to one of skill in the artthat the apparatus is capable of implementation in other embodiments andof being practiced or carried out in various ways. Examples of specificembodiments are provided herein for illustrative purposes only and arenot intended to be limiting. Also, the phraseology and terminology usedherein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting. Any references to examples, embodiments, components, elementsor acts of the apparatus herein referred to in the singular may alsoembrace embodiments including a plurality, and any references in pluralto any embodiment, component, element or act herein may also embraceembodiments including only a singularity (or unitary structure).References in the singular or plural form are not intended to limit thepresently disclosed apparatus, its components, acts, or elements. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. The use herein of “including,” “comprising,” “having,”“containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof is meant to encompassthe items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well asadditional items. References to “or” may be construed as inclusive sothat any terms described using “or” may indicate any of a single, morethan one, and all of the described terms.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1-6, the present disclosure is generallydirected to an adaptor 100 including a mounting member 110 forsupporting the adaptor 100 on a surface, such as the surface of aportable electronic device 111. The adapter 100 includes a body 113having a top edge 102 and a bottom edge 104 and at least one receivingarm 120 a for supporting a corresponding receiving bracket 130 a, whichtogether guide and support an accessory 140 used to support theelectronic mobile device on or to a structure 116, for example asteering wheel as shown in FIG. 3. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG.1, the adaptor body 113 and the at least one receiving arm 120 atogether form a primarily planar surface. In some embodiments, theadaptor body 113 and the receiving arm(s) 120 a and 120 b from a unitarypiece, as shown in FIG. 1. In other embodiments, the adaptor body 113and the receiving arm(s) 120 a and 120 b may be separate structures thatare secured to each other.

The mounting member 110 defines a slot or channel 150 to receive a gripdevice 200, the slot 150 being bounded by two opposing side edges 112connected by a lower edge 114. The side edges 112 are spaced apart asufficient distance to allow the grip device 200 to be slid or otherwisereceived into slot 150 and come to rest adjacent the lower edge 114. Thelower edge 114 can be any shape, such as curved or straight. In certainembodiments, the shape of the lower edge 114 corresponds to the shape ofa receiving portion 220 of the grip device 200. For example, the loweredge 114 may be curved such that it is arcuate and forms a “U” with theside edges 112 to receive a circular grip device; lower edge 114 may bestraight so that it is perpendicular to side edges 112 in order toreceive a square or rectangular grip device; or lower edge 14 may bepointed to form a “V” shape with the side edges 112 to receive atriangular grip device. One popular circular shaped grip that theadaptor 100 is designed to be utilized with is the POPSOCKET® brand gripsold by PopSockets LLC, of Colorado is illustrated in FIG. 13.

Grip devices for mounting to a portable electronic device 111, such as aphone or tablet, are known to those of skill in the art. One embodimentof a grip device 200 for use with the present disclosure shown in FIGS.7A-7C is generally circular in shape and includes a button 210, areceiving portion 220, and a base 230. Base 230 is secured to a backsurface of the portable electronic device (or to a protective cover ofthe device), while the receiving portion 220 and button 210 are grippedby a user or used as a stand. As illustrated, the exemplary button 210and base 230 have a wider circumference than the receiving portion 220,and all three parts are generally aligned concentrically with eachother. In the present embodiment, the base 230 is larger incircumference than the button 210. In other embodiments, the base 230has the same or smaller circumference than the button 210. In someembodiments, the sides of the receiving portion 220 of the grip device200 are slightly concave or tapered, which may assist in holding thegrip device in place within slot 150 of adaptor 100. In certainembodiments, the height of the receiving portion 220 may be greater thanthe thickness of adaptor body 113, but still in snug communicationwithin slot 150 such that the adaptor 100 is removably held in placeonce engaging the grip device 200. For example, in the embodiment shownin FIG. 13, although the height of the receiving portion 220 is muchgreater than the thickness of adaptor body 113, a ridge 222 is providedthat engages the slot 150, and the grip device also collapses such thatthe button 210 and base 230 are brought closer together, both of whichhelp hold the grip device within slot 150. Because the grip device 200engages slot 150 to support the adaptor 100 to the mobile electronicdevice and the adaptor 100 is not permanently affixed thereto, it isfree to rotate around the grip 200. The rotation around the grip device200 allows the portable electronic device to be positioned at any angle,for example with the portable electronic device 111 in a more verticalorientation as shown in FIG. 15, or a more horizontal orientation asshown in FIG. 16, or at any angle in between.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-6 each receiving arm 120 a, b is positionedon either side of the side edges 112 of mounting member 110. Any numberof receiving arms 120 are contemplated in the present disclosure. In thepresent exemplary embodiment, there are two receiving arms 120 a, b butother number of receiving arms may be provided. The receiving arms 120a, b can also take any number of shapes, such as to roughly resemble asquare, rectangle, trapezoid, cylindrical, oval, circular, triangular,or any other shape imaginable. For example, in the present embodiment,the receiving arms roughly resemble a square with rounded edges, whereasin the embodiment shown in FIG. 8A, the receiving arms roughly resemblea trapezoid, and in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-10, the receivingarms are a flat rod shape.

Supported by each receiving arm 120 a, b is at least one correspondingreceiving bracket 130 a, b for removably receiving the accessory 140. Asbest shown in FIG. 2, each receiving bracket 130 a, b includes opposingbracket arms 132 that extend from the surface of the adaptor body 113and the receiving arms 120 a, b. Each bracket arm 132 has a lowerportion 136 and an upper portion 138. In certain embodiments the upperportions 138 of each bracket are curved inward toward each other toassist in hold the accessory 140 in place once received by the bracket.As also shown best in FIG. 2, bracket arms 132 are connected by a lowersurface 134 extending between the lower portion 136 of each of thebracket arms 132. The bracket arms 132 are spaced apart to receive andremovably secure accessory 140 to the adaptor 100. Each of the bracketarms 132 should be spaced apart so that, when the accessory 140 has beenreceived therein, each bracket arm 132 is in frictional contact with theaccessory 140 to prevent it from inadvertently disengaging from thereceiving bracket(s) 130 a, b.

Any desirable accessory 140 that is capable of mating with the receivingbracket(s) 130 a, b is contemplated in the present disclosure, includingthose of varying length and, if tubular, circumference. For example, butnot limitation, a suitable accessory includes any type of cable, cord,rod, handle, etc. whether flexible, stiff, or some combination thereof,such as the flexible cable shown in FIGS. 3-6 and sold under the brandname NITE IZE®, by NITE IZE, Inc. of Colorado. As shown in FIG. 6, theaccessory 140 fits into the receiving bracket(s) 130 a, b such that thebracket receiving arms 132 and lower surface 134 are in frictionalcontact with the accessory 140. In certain embodiments, the receivingarms 132 are capable of being moved apart from one another to initiallyreceive the accessory, especially in embodiments in which the upperportions 138 of the receiving arms 132 are curved inward. Once theaccessory has passed through the curved upper portions 138, thereceiving arms 132 can be moved back toward their original position,either through their own flexibility, or by the user pushing themtogether, for example if the receiving arms are made of metal.

As with the lower edge 114 of the channel 150, the lower surface 134 ofthe receiving bracket 130 and the inner surfaces 133 of each of thebracket arms 132 form a slot or channel 135. Likewise, the lower surface134 can be any shape, such as curved or flat. The shape of the lowersurface 134 may generally conform to the shape of the portion of theaccessory 140 that is received by the brackets 130 a, b, for example asshown in FIGS. 2 and 6 where the lower surface 134 is curved such thatit forms a “U” with the bracket arms 132. It is to be understood thatthe lower edge 114 of the channel 150 can be located above or below thereceiving brackets 130 a, b, which can be positioned toward the top orbottom edge 102, 104 of adaptor body 113, or any point in between. Forexample, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, the lower edge 114 ofchannel 150 is positioned toward the bottom edge 104 of the adaptor body113, while the brackets are located toward the top edge 102, such thatthe lower edge 114 of channel 150 is below the receiving brackets 130 a,b. In other embodiments, it is preferable to have the receiving brackets130 a, b in line with the mounting member 110 to prevent the amount oftorque that is placed on the grip device once the accessory is mountingto the adaptor 100.

In certain embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6, thebottom edge 104 of the adaptor body 113 may be aligned with the lowersurface 134 of brackets 130 a, b, such that the brackets extend upwardfrom the bottom edge 104 a distance along each of the correspondingreceiving arms 120 a, b. The brackets 130 a, b can be formed together asa unitary piece with the rest of the adaptor 100, or they can be made asseparate components from the adaptor 100 and fixedly attached thereto.For example, but not limitation, as shown in the embodiment in FIG. 10,brackets 130 a, b are formed separately and welded to the ends of thereceiving arms 120 a, b.

The adaptor 100 can be made of any material, such as a hard or semi-hardplastic, a metal material, a plastic coated or painted metal material.The adaptor can have any length 1, width w, or thickness, as desired foruse with a portable electronic device. In certain embodiments, theadaptor 100 may have a length and a width such that the adaptor does notextend past the edges of the portable electronic device to which it ismounted. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the adaptor 100 is bothshorter in width and length than the cell phone to which it is mounted.In the case of a tablet, portable laptop computer or touch screen pad,etc., for example, the length and width can be greater than that of aportable cell phone device. With respect to mounting on a cell phonedevice, the adaptor 100 will usually be mounted such that the width ofthe adaptor 100 will be lengthwise with respect to the cell phone, asshown in FIG. 6. The thickness of the adaptor may also preferably beless than the length/and the width w of the adaptor 100.

In certain embodiments, the width of the receiving arms 120 issubstantially equal to the width of the mounting member 110, as shown inthe embodiment of FIG. 9. In other embodiments, such as the embodimentshown in FIGS. 1-6 and the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the surface areaand width of the receiving arms 120 is greater than the mounting member.Even further, in certain embodiments, such as the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1-6 and the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, there is not a clear lineof delineation between the receiving arms 120 along the side edges 112of the mounting member, with the receiving arm extending to just beforeeach of the side edges 11. The surface of the receiving arms 120 can beused for promotional purposes or for placing any type of desired designthereon.

In use, the receiving portion 220 of grip device 200 is slid orotherwise received into the slot 150 of the mounting member 110 of theadaptor 100 for connection therewith. The grip device 200 is insertedalong the side edges 112 of the slot 150 of the mounting member 110 andrests adjacent the lower edge 114 of the mounting member 110, forexample as shown in FIG. 7C and 11-12, with the grip device 200 indotted lines. As described herein above, the grip device 200 has a snug,friction fit within the mounting member 110, which provides a secureattachment that is also removable so that the user can choose to keepthe adaptor 100 attached to the grip device, or readily remove ittherefrom.

FIG. 6 shows the adaptor 100 attached to the grip device 200, which inturn is mounted to the mobile electronic device 111, and the accessory140 supported by the adaptor 100. The accessory can be inserted withinthe receiving brackets 130 a, 130 b of adaptor 100 either before orafter the adaptor is attached to the grip device 200. As shown in thevarious embodiments, one exemplary accessory includes a first end 142 aand a second end 142 b received within the receiving brackets 130 a, 130b. Once in place on the portable electronic device, the accessory 140can be used, for example but not limitation, to removably attach theportable electronic device 111 to an object, such as a circular object(as shown in FIG. 3) or a post (as shown in FIG. 15); or as a stand, asshown in FIGS. 4-5 and 16-17; or held by the user to take “selfies,”etc. The adaptor 100 can also be rotated to position the portableelectronic device 111 at any of a variety of angles, two of which asshown in FIGS. 15 and 16. Because the accessory 140 can be chosen by theuser, and can have a variety of lengths, it provides a level ofcustomization for the user not previously available. For example, if arigid stand is desired, the accessory 140 may take the form of a metalrod shaped to engage both the receiving brackets 130 a, 130 b and asupport surface, such as a U-shape, may be utilized. However, if a moreflexible alternative is desired, for example to wrap around acylindrical object, the accessory 140 may be a cable tie, or NITE IZE®rubber-coated cables that is available in a variety of sizes and thatcan be formed, or twisted into a variety of shapes, for example as shownin FIGS. 12-15.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon whichthis disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis fordesigning other products without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the claimsare not to be limited to the specific examples depicted herein. Forexample, the features of one example disclosed above can be used withthe features of another example. Furthermore, various modifications andrearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept. For example, thegeometric configurations, size and positioning disclosed herein for theadaptor, mounting member, receiving arm and receiving bracket includingbut not limited to width, length and thickness, may be readily altereddepending upon the application, as may the material selection for thecomponents. Thus, the details of these components as set forth in theabove-described examples, should not limit the scope of the claims.

Further, the purpose of the Abstract is to enable the U. S. Patent andTrademark Office, and the public generally, and especially thescientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure ofthe application. The Abstract is neither intended to define the claimsof the application nor is intended to be limiting on the claims in anyway.

What is claimed is:
 1. An adaptor that removably attaches to a portableelectronic device, the adaptor comprising: a body having a front surfaceand an opposing back surface; a mounting member including a slot boundedby two opposing side edges, the slot being configured and dimensioned toreceive a portion of a grip device supported on the portable electronicdevice; a flexible accessory supported by the body and configured to beformed into a variety of shapes and constructed to support the portableelectronic device; wherein during use the grip device is received withinthe slot of the mounting member to support the portable electronicdevice on the body and the flexible accessory is formed into one of astand to support the portable electronic device on a surface or asupport that at least partially wraps around an object during use. 2.The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the adaptor is rotatable around the gripdevice so as to position the portable electronic device at any angle. 3.The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the two opposing side edges of themounting member are connected by a lower edge having one of a straightor curved shape.
 4. The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the flexibleaccessory is removably supported on the body.
 5. The adaptor of claim 4,wherein the flexible accessory includes a tubular shape, a first end anda second end, each end being received within one of the at least onereceiving brackets.
 6. The adaptor of claim 1, wherein the body includesat least one receiving arm constructed and arranged to support theflexible accessory.
 7. The adaptor of claim 6, wherein the at least onereceiving arm supports at least one receiving bracket constructed andarranged to receive a portion of the flexible accessory.
 8. The adaptorof claim 7, wherein the at least one receiving arm and the at least onereceiving bracket are a unitary structure.
 9. The adaptor of claim 7,wherein the flexible accessory includes a tubular shape, a first end anda second end, each end being received within one of the at least onereceiving brackets.
 10. An adaptor kit for removably attaching to aportable electronic device, the adaptor kit comprising: a grip deviceincluding a base constructed and arranged to be supported by a backsurface of the portable electronic device; an adaptor including: a bodyincluding a front surface and a back surface; a mounting memberincluding a slot bounded by two opposing side edges supported by thebody, the slot being configured and dimensioned to receive a portion ofthe grip device; a flexible accessory supported by the body andconfigured to be formed into a variety of shapes and constructed tosupport the portable electronic device; wherein during use the flexibleaccessory is formed into one of a stand to support the portableelectronic device on a surface or a support that at least partiallywraps around an object and supports the portable electronic device. 11.The adaptor kit of claim 10, wherein the adaptor is rotatable around thegrip device so as to position the portable electronic device at anyangle.
 12. The adaptor kit of claim 10, wherein the grip device furtherincludes a button and a receiving portion connecting the button and thebase.
 13. The adaptor kit of claim 10, wherein the flexible accessory isremovably supported on the body.
 14. The adaptor kit of claim 13,wherein the body includes at least one receiving arm constructed andarranged to support the flexible accessory.
 15. The adaptor kit of claim14, wherein the at least one receiving arm supports at least onereceiving bracket constructed and arranged to receive a portion of theflexible accessory.
 16. The adaptor kit of claim 15, wherein theflexible accessory includes a tubular shape, a first end and a secondend, each end being received within one of the at least one receivingbrackets.